cure enjoyment. What is not our own, we may admire if it be excellent, but cannot dote on; and what is worth having, increases or decreases in value proportionably to the length and certainty of its continuance; what we cannot enjoy is nothing to us, how excellent soever it be, and to enjoy it but a little while, is next to not enjoying it, for we cannot enjoy it always; and such things cannot be called our own, and this shews us, what value we ought to set upon this world, and all things in it; even just so much as upon things that are not our own, and which we cannot keep.

We use indeed to call things our own, which we have a legal title to, which no man can by law or justice deprive us of, and this is the only property we can have in these things, a property against all other human claims; but nothing which can be taken from us, nothing which we must leave, is pròperly our own; for in a strict sense nothing is our own but what is essential, either to our being, or to our happiness. Creatures are proprietors of nothing, not so much as of themselves, for we are his who made us, and who may unmake us again when he pleases; but yet there are some things proper to our natures, and that is all the natural property we have; but what is thus proper to us we cannot be deprived of without ceasing to be, or being miserable.

And this proves that the things of this world are not our own, that they are not proper and peculiar to

our natures, though they are necessary to this present state of life: While we live here we want them, but when we leave this world, we must live without them, and may be happy without them too. There is a great agreeableness between the things of this world and an earthly nature, they are a great support and comfort to us in this mortal state; and therefore while we live in this world we may value the enjoyments of it, for the ease and conveniencies of life but we must neither call this life nor any enjoyments of it our own, because they are short and perishing; we are here but as travellers in an inn, it is not our home and country, it is not our portion and inheritance, but a moveable and changeable scene, which is entertaining at present, but cannot last. Let us then consider, how we ought to value such things as these, and to make it as plain and self evident as I can, I shall put some easy and familiar

cases.

1. Suppose you were travelling through a very delightful country, where you met with all the pleasures and conveniences of life, but knew that you must not tarry there, but only pass through it; would you think it reasonable to set your affections so much upon it, as to make it uneasy to you to leave it? And shall we then grow so fond of this world which we must only pass through, where we have no ading city, as to enslave ourselves to the lusts and pleasures of it, and to carry out of this

world such a passion for it, as shall make us miserable in the next: For though death will separate us from this world, we are not sure that it will cure our earthly passions; we may still find the torment of sensual appetites, when all sensual objects are removed: This was all the purgatory-fire St. Augustin could think of, that those who loved this world too much here, though otherwise innocent and virtuous men, should be punished with fruitless desires and hankerings after this world in the next; which is a mixt torment of desire and despair. For though indeed it is only living in these bodies, which betrays the soul to such earthly affections, yet when the impression is once made, and is strong and vigorous, we are not sure that merely putting off these bodies will cure it; as we see age itself in old sinners does not cure the wantonness of desire, when the body is effete and languid; and this I should think were reason enough to convince every man, who considers, that he is not to live here always, how much it concerns him not to grow over fond of present things; for to contract an eternal passion for what we cannot always enjoy, must needs make us miserable..

2. If then we must not entertain a fondness for those things, which we cannot keep, let us in the next place consider, how we must use those things, which we have but a present and momentary possession of; for use is apt to beget a fondness. Suppose then again, that in your travels abroad, you pass

through such a delightful country, what is it that prevents your fondness, but only considering, that you are not at home, that you must not always see and enjoy what you now do; and therefore all the fine things you meet with, you rather look upon as curiosities to be remarked in story or to be tried by way of experiment, or to be used for present necessity, than as things which are to be enjoyed, for you know they are not and did we use the world thus, we should never grow over fond of it. Those who marry would be as though they married not, and those who weep, as though they wept not; and those who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not, and those who use this world, as not abusing it, because the fashion of this world passeth away. The world itself will not last long, though it will out-last us, but we are to continue here so little a while, that we have no reason to call it our home, or to place our enjoyment in it: It is an old and a good distinction, that some things are only for use, and some things for enjoyment. The first we value only for their use, the second we account our happiness. Now it is certain, that what is transient and momentary can be only for use, for man is a miserable creature, if what is his happiness, be not last ́ing and a very foolish creature, if he places his happiness in what is not lasting. Now this should make a vast difference in our affections to things. We cannot blame any man who lets loose his affections upon that which is his happiness; for there neither can

nor ought to be any bounds set to our desires or enjoyment of true happiness; but what we account only for use, we have no farther concernment for, but only as it is of use to us; and this confines our desires and affections to its use; and were this the measure of our love to present things, as it ought to be, we could not err, nor entertain any troublesome or vicious passion from them. As for instance : What is the natural use of eating and drinking, but to repair the decays of nature, and preserve our bodies in health and vigor? Now as great delicacies and curiosities, as there are in nature, both of food and liquors, if men valued them only for their use, they would never be guilty of excess; nor grow so fond of them, as if they were made only to eat and drink, and to judge of the differences of tastes. To value things for their use, is to value them no farther than they are useful; and this is the only value which is due to things which we must leave; for they can be only for present use but when we come to place our happiness, as all sensual men do, in things which are designed only for our use, it both makes us extravagant in the use of them, (which often proves a great mischief to us in this world,) and creates such an unnatural passion for them, as they cannot answer, which makes them vain, and empty, and unsatisfactory while we have them, and fills us with vexation, and all the restlesness of a furious passion and appetite when we want them; as we must do at